The present invention relates to bicycle pedals, and more specifically to a pedal for a racing bicycle which enables the rider's shoe to be quickly fastened to the pedal body.
In regular racing bicycles, the pedal body can be turned about the shaft within a limited angle so that the shoe can be firmly secured to the pedal body when pedaling. FIG. 1 shows a pedal for a racing bicycle developed by "MARUI" Japan. This structure of bicycle pedal is comprised of "coupling plate connecting unit", "coupling plate retaining unit", and "biasing unit". The retaining unit is comprised an inner mounting block, an outer mounting block, a center mounting block, a spiral compression spring, a spring bushing, a spring adjustment screw, an inner sleeve, and a center bearing. The spiral compression spring has two opposite ends respectively fastened to the spring bushing and the center mounting block for enabling the connecting unit to be oscillated relative to the retaining unit (see FIG. 2). FIGS. 3 and 4 show another structure of bicycle pedal developed by "SHIMANO" Japan. According to this design, the structure which is disposed at the end of the pedal body and comprised a spring, a connecting block, an axle sleeve and a tube allows the pedal body to be oscillated within a limited angle (see FIGS. 5 and 6). During assembly process, the two opposite ends of the spring are respectively fastened to an inner hole at the connecting block and a blind hole at a wing plate and then inserted into the tube, and then a notch at the tube is forced into engagement with a retaining lug at the connecting block. Because the inner hole at the connecting block and the blind hole at the wing plate are not axially aligned, the spring must be twisted so that the two opposite ends of the spring can be respectively fastened to the inner hole at the connecting block and the blind hole at the wing plate. This installation procedure is complicated. FIGS. from 7 through 9 show still another structure of prior art bicycle pedal in which a pedal body is fastened to a shaft, a cage is mounted on the shaft around the pedal body, a torsional spring is mounted on a rod raised from a wing plate of the cage with its two opposite ends respectively fastened to a notch at the rod and a groove in the pedal body. This structure of bicycle pedal still has drawbacks. Because the cage is comprised of two symmetrical wing plates, the torsional spring, related axle bush and the pedal body must be coupled to the outer wing plate before installation of the inner wing plate. When installing the inner wing plate, it is difficult to keep the torsional spring in position. Further, when replacing, adjusting or repairing one component part in the cage, the whole assembly of the bicycle pedal must be dismounted.
The present invention provide a bicycle pedal which can easily be assembled or disassembled. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pedal is comprised of a shaft, a cage secured to the shaft, a pedal body mounted on the shaft within the cage and turned about the shaft relative to the cage, and a coupling structure which enables the pedal body to be coupled to the cage and turned about the shaft within a limited angle relative to the cage. The coupling structure comprises an end cap mounted in a stepped hole in the cage and engaged into locating grooves at the pedal body, the end cap having a locating block inserted into a sliding groove in the stepped hole inside the cage to limit the turning angle of the pedal body relative to the cage, a screw mounted in a countersunk hole at the end cap and threaded into a screw hole at the pedal body to fix the end cap to the pedal body, and a torsional spring mounted on the end cap and connected between a locating hole inside the pedal body and a notch in the stepped hole inside the cage for enabling the pedal body to be returned to its former position after each rotary motion.